Quote:
Originally Posted by natehale1971
Any able bodied citizen between the ages of 16 to 65 is considered a member of the militia (and thus why civilians can be 'deputized' to form up a posse during manhunts). All the way up to WW1 well-to-do citizens would foot the bill for the purchase of cannons, horses and firearms to be kept for their local armory. There as a story of three well-to-do Americans traveling trhough France during the Revolution, that were looking for a high-quality cannon for their artillery componet of their militia unit.
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So you would argue that at this time every citizen of the United States of America aged between 16 and 65 could be accurately described as being part of a "well regulated militia"? Not just on paper or as a concept mind you. The modern equivalent of a "well regulated militia" would seem to me to involve perhaps compulsory military service, or some sort of State Guard-type arrangement, or at the very least some sort of regional police-citizenry training program for all young people in the year they turn 16 (which, by the way, I think sounds like an excellent idea).
Seriously, the real-life situation today is very, very different from that even 100 years ago, let alone during the time of the Revolutionary War. Back then a majority of Americans would need to know how to handle, maintain and use firearms and many communities would oftentimes have to police and protect themselves. I'm sorry but saying that all adult Americans are part of a well regulated militia in this day and age is, at best, paying lip service to the original ideals behind the second amendment, at worst a total fantasy. However I'd be happy to consider anyone with official military, paramilitary or police training to be, by default, part of a well regulated militia. That seems quite sensible to me.